Should be the Beginning
by SeriouslyLife
Summary: Graduation should be the beginning of a new life, but the Suite Life isn't always so sweet. Zack is heartbroken over his breakup with Maya, while Cody is devastated about his rejection from Yale. Could life get any worse? Unfortunately for Woody, it can.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. No money is being made from these works. No copyright infringement is intended.

I hereby give permission for any original characters and/or plots created by myself at fanfiction dot net to be used, and/or improved upon.  
>-<p>

"I'm so proud of you guys!" Carey exclaimed cheerfully as she entered Cody's cabin eagerly following her twin sons. Kurt folllowed closely behind them. These were the sentimental moments that normally delighted the younger twin. Sure, he was old enough now to know his parents weren't going to get back together, but he enjoyed the family time. He had a feeling there would be less and less of this as he grew older. Then again, he hadn't gotten into Yale. What was he going to do with his life?

"Your mother is right," Kurt said, albeit he was less enthusiastic than his mother. Probably a good thing, he wasn't sure he could handle that much enthusiasm. If she got any happier, she'd be in serious danger of damaging her temporomandibular joint.

"You know, you can lay on my bed if you want," Woody said lifting up one of the blankets and sweeping his hand through a trail of crumbs. "It's just corn chips from last night."

Zack looked over from where he sat on the bare mattress of his brothers bed. Cody had already finished packing, almost everyone had actually. They were supposed to have packed before the graduation ceremony. "Did you get any in your mouth?" Setling back into Cody's old bed he decided to stay where he was. The crumbs didn't bug him, but the smell of gas might.

"Why aren't you packed yet?" Cody asked.

"Oh," he started, then a story quickly rolled off his tongue. "I started packing earlier. I decided why not put on that other pair of underware, I'm a graduate now. Time to try new things!"

"I'm a little scared of where this is going..." Zack cut in, but Woody continued.

"Next thing I know all of that green stuff growing between my toes? Now it's all over m..."

"Ugh," Cody groaned cutting him off. Carey looked horrified.

"So I had to go to the nurse," he finished.

"Yeah, we get it." Cody said grabbing his bags. "You are one disgusting guy, but I'm going to miss you. Call me, ok?" Woody nodded.

"Later man," Zack said rising to his feet, and wrapping his arms around his larger friend for a second. "I'll miss ya."

"Bye Zack," he said closing the door as he left. Soon as they collected Zack's things they would be gone. Just like London, Bailey, and Maya. Now the ship was to be destroyed. The best home he'd ever had. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed Addison.

-  
>AN: I've been reading and enjoying this site for years. This is my first contribution. <p>


	2. Chapter 2

"Zack," Carey said wrapping an arm around him. He looked at her vacantly. "Oh Zack," she said again.

"We're just going to get these bags out to the car, alright? Kurt told them. Carey nodded.

"Zack, let's go for a walk." she suggested.

"What? Why?" He asked. The ship was being torn apart around them, and she wanted to go for a walk? It didn't even make sense!

"Come on. Come with mama," she said wrapping her arms around him, and leading him out the door. He looked back at Cody pleadingly, hoping he would say something, but Cody merely turned away to help their father.

"Thanks a lot," he mumbled under his breath.

"I think you can manage this one yourself Zack. She wouldn't be so desperate to talk to you if you had written her a letter once and a while."

"Hello?" Carey said looking at the two of them. "I'm right here."

"I did write!" Zack fought back.

Kurt placed his hand on Cody's shoulder, hoping he wouldn't continue. It's not that he expected a fight, he was used to their brotherly arguments, but the four of them had a long car ride ahead. The calmer they were, the easier the trip would be.

"You once turned in an essay that was identical to an email you sent to mom! It wasn't even a paragraph!" Cody exclaimed.

"Guys," Carey said more sternly. Then paused a moment contemplatively as she considered Cody's words. "Really? Which one?" Then thinking better of it, she shook her head, and quickly moved on. "Never mind, that's not important right now. Come on," she opened the door again.

"Sorry mom," the twins echoed. Zack followed his mother out of the room leaving his father and brother to bring everything to the car.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Zack started as they walked down the hallway.

"Alright," she replied. "We don't have to." At the end of the hallway they opened the door allowing the sound of a saw to come pouring through. "They sure aren't wasting any time," Carey exclaimed over the noise.

Zack pulled his mother gently by the wrist and closed the door. "This way," he said. "I know a place they haven't started on yet. Carey followed her son down the hallway into a small indoor lounge area.

She sat down next to him on the couch, and looked around a moment.

"I think it was supposed to be a study or something. No one really used it though. Maya and I used to meet here at night sometimes. Past curfew," he admitted. "We never did get caught."

Carey didn't approve of his disregard to school rules, but said nothing as she rubbed his back and listened.

"I know what you're thinking mom," Zack sighed. "I disobeyed the rules. Maybe I went too far sometimes, but not with Maya. You raised me better than that."

He sighed again before standing to pace the room. "She thought I was a player, and maybe I am because I can't help it that some girls just attract my attention, but I don't play mind games. I'd never do what dad did."

"Hey," Carey said approaching him, placing her hands on his shoulders. He looked... Forlorn. A look she had never seen on his face before. "Zack? Sit down with me. Where is this all coming from? What did dad do?"

"He left," Zack replied simply escaping his mothers grasp, and returning to the couch. Carey sat down beside him again. "When I first found out about the Peace Corp, I thought that breaking up with her would be easy. I knew there was something different about her than the other girls I've dated, but I was in denial. Until I finally realized..." Zack trailed off. "I can't do this," he sighed in frustration.

It was on rare occasions like these that he envied his brothers ability to express his feelings so easily. Whenever he tried to express himself, he felt like an idiot.

"You realized that you love her?" Carey asked. Zack nodded his head miserably.

"I've been on a thousand stupid dates. Those girls were all easy to break up with."

"Zack, I think I understand. Let me explain to you a couple of things. Back when I..."

Zack groaned.

"Alright," Carey told him. "No stories, I promise. First, your father loves you."

Zack rolled his eyes. "I know that, but what about you? I heard you mom... A long time ago, how much his games hurt you."

Carey was shocked into silence for a moment. Finally regaining the ability to speak she started with an apology. "Oh Zack, you were never meant to hear our arguments. I am so sorry. Listen to me, alright? The truth is, breakups are always emotional. Sometimes it makes you feel like love isn't worth the risk, but it is! For your father and I, it just didn't work out. It was no ones fault. Zack, I'm not sure what you heard me say all those years ago, but I don't blame him. It was emotional time, but now we both agree that we're better off as friends."

Zack hugged his mother briefly. "Don't you worry Zack. Someday, the thought of Maya won't hurt so much." Carey kissed her sons forehead. "Are you ready to go? We were thinking of grabbing a bite to eat next door."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, but can I say bye to Woody first?"

"Woody," Carey thought out loud. "Cody's roommate?" She asked.

"Yep," Zack replied.

"Sure," Carey replied. "Invite him along if he's hungry. I felt bad for the young man."

"He's always hungry," he replied a smile. Seconds later his smile disappeared. "Wait! Mom?" He called after her. She turned around to face him, barely having made it to the hallway. "What do you mean you feel bad for him? Why?"

"Oh, your teacher told me that he was the only one whose parents didn't show up for graduation."

"I didn't see London's parents," Zack replied.

"She has Mr. Moseby. A stranger showed up for Woody. I don't know the whole story. He didn't tell you?" Zack shook his head. "Hmm, well be sure to invite him to lunch if you want. We'll be next door."

"Thanks," he replied.

-  
>AN: I'm not sure how long this will be yet, but for now I am laying the foundation for an idea I've had in my head for a while.<p>

This story is written/uploaded entirely from a two year old cell phone. I apologize for spelling, formatting and other errors. 


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thank you for the reviews and encouragement!  
>-<p>Zack strolled through the hallway toward Woody's cabin hoping for one last goodbye before heading back to Boston with his parents. He was a little surprised to find the door slightly opened, but quickly disregarded it given the circumstances.<p>

The students and passengers were supposed to have been gone hours ago. Most were, there were very few people aboard ship. Mostly cleanup and disassembly crew. Overall, the ship seemed vacant.

Approaching the cabin, he heard the sound of crying, followed by consoling whispers of platitudes in a voice he recognized, but couldn't place.

He didn't make a habit of eavesdropping, at least not in situations like this. He'd have preferred to listen in on Moseby, Cody, or something he could use to his benefit.

This was completely different. His typical policy with crying was to avoid it, but was that Woody crying? It couldn't be, he'd never known Woody to cry.

One look through the parted door and he felt like he had entered an alternate dimension. It was Woody, and those words of comfort were coming from Addison, which was equally astounding. Zack had never considered the possibility of their being another side to Addison. She was a moter mouth! Once she started talking, it was hard to shut her up. At this moment though, she seemed, normal.

He flattened his back against the wall as a foreign feeling arose in his gut. Guilt? He knew he shouldn't be listening in on a personal conversation, it had been an accident though. He just wanted to say goodbye to a friend. It could be years before they see each other again. But now, seeing him crying like this, he was a little concerned.

"I finished packing for you," Addison whispered leaning in to kiss his cheek. Zack listened in silence, wishing he could hear better. "You can't stay on the boat."

"The captain goes down with the ship," Woody mummbled.

"You," Addison grunted trying to pull him from the bed. "Are not the captain," she finished with another grunt as she readjusted her grip on his arm and tried again. She let out a long sigh, followed by a pitiful pout. "Woody, I need ringpops. My tongue is so boring, and it needs to have delicious options, or it will just be red. Which is so boring by the way, you know what else is boring?"

"Alright, alright," Woody said getting up. He took a deep breath, and wiped away his tears. From the first bag he picked up, he removed a handful of ringpops.

Addison squealed in delight, and continued talking as she helped him to collect his other bags. Zack rolled his eyes, there was the moter mouth Addison he was used to.

He nearly joined them then, assuming whatever emotional conversation they had been having was over, but stopped when he heard Addison's voice crack.

"The other thing that would be boring is a world without you in it. You are my best friend Woody Fink. Don't ever scare me like that again." It was only at this point that Zack realized Addison was crying too. "Thank you for calling me. You can always call me, ok? Please don't... Don't hurt yourself. Suicide is..."

Suicide? Zack's head slammed against the wall forcefully, and the conversation paused. Panic poured through him as he looked around for a place to hide. He quickly slid into the unoccupied cabin next door.

Suicide? His mind raced, but the same question repeated. He sat on the floor leaning his back against the door taking deep breaths to calm himself, but to no avail. He closed his eyes a moment needing to digest what he'd just heard.

-  
>AN: On a more personal note, I am very sick and spend a lot of time every week in the hospital. I will update my story as often as I can, but the schedule might be erratic. I'm very sorry! <p>


	4. Chapter 4

"Dang it!" Zack heard Woody exclaim from the hallway.

"What is it?" Addison asked.

"I bet that ol..." he paused a moment, apparently reconsidering his choice in words. "I mean, didn't you hear that?"

"Woody," she reminded him gently. "We've been hearing strange sounds all day." She had of course heard the unusual thumbing, but it had seemed innocuous to her, especially compared to some of the louder crashes she had heard just after the graduation ceremony. "Come on," she coaxed him back toward his cabin. "There's no one here. Just a bunch of people with power tools taking the ship apart. I mean, why not just sell it? That's weird right?" She asked, but she didn't pause long enough for Woody to reply. "I think it's weird. Anyway, we've gotta get out of here before the ceiling caves in or something."

"Alright," Woody replied. Zack listened to their voices fade into the cabin. "Let me just grab the rest of my stuff."

"I'll help," Addison replied, and the door closed behind them. Zack breathed a slow sigh of relief. He hadn't been caught, but he could still feel the surge of adrenaline that had forced him into the empty cabin.

His first instict was to call Cody, but he decided against it. Whatever was going on, Woody didn't want anyone to know about it. That included him.

He sighed, but Cody would know what to do, and this was serious! As impossible as it was for him to believe, his mischievous friend was suicidal! Zack shook his head.

He couldn't imagine wanting to kill himself. Sure he had been depressed plenty of times. Maya entered his mind, but he crushed the thought of her quickly. He didn't have time for that. This was completely different.

He would have to pretend not to know. It was the only way. He had to both keep Woody's friendship and find some way to earn his trust. In the meantime, he would need some way to keep an eye on him.

Zack sighed again. He did not want to do all this. He hated getting wrapped up in emotional problems, that was Cody's thing. This was Woody though. One wrong move, and the guy he'd hung out with all through high school would be dead! Dead! He had heard Addison very clearly say the word suicide. He banged his head against the door, then held his breath a moment hoping they hadn't heard him. He was frustrated! Why would Woody do something like that? It didn't make any sense!

Zack remained silent as Woody and Addison ventured into the hallway. As the voices faded once more, Zack followed quietly. Hearing the echoes of laughter, a last minute plan developed just in time.

As they turned to disembark the ship, Zack run up behind them pretending to be out of breath. "Woody!" He exclaimed. "Thought I'd missed ya man," he took two refreshing deep breaths, not wanting his fake exhaustion to look too exaggerated. Recovering quickly, he continued. "Checked your cabin, you were gone. Oh, hey Addison. You guys hungry? My parents are offering to pay next door," he pointed the a small restaurant near the docks.

"Oh my God, I want to so bad becausw that place has the best french fries and I'm so starving. I remember the last time I ate there, my mom and I stopped there for lunch before I boarded. The food was so good!" She exclaimed, taking a breath before continuing. "But I have to catch a plane that I am actually late for so I need to get on that bus right there before things get really confusing, which they already are really confusing because..."

"Yeah, it's confusing, I get it. The bus is gonna leave before you finish that sentence." Zack turned to Woody, "What about you? Free food."

"I"ll call you," Addison whispered, kissing Woody's cheek. Zack pulled his phone from his pocket, and turned away slightly, faking a text message. Much as he expected, the whispers continued. Zack slipped his phone back into his pocket as Addison waved.

"Hungry?" Zack asked as she fell out of view.

"Starved," he replied.

-  
>AN: Very sick right now. If this chapter is no good, let me know. I will try to rewrite. <p>


	5. Chapter 5

Zack threw an arm over Woody's shoulder as they walked toward the small home-turned-bistro style seaside restaurant. It was entirely blue on the outside, except for visibly chipped paint giving it a more staccato look.

"Zack?" Woody asked stopping suddenly. "Are you ok? You're acting kind of..."

"I am?" Zack shrugged, his arm dropping casually to his side. Had he really been so obvious? He panicked internally, but tried to remain calm. All he had to do was act natural, how hard could it be?

"Earth to Zack," Woody called out waving a hand in front of his face.

"I was just thinking," Zack said shrugging it off.

"Thinking? Should I call a doctor?" He asked smiling.

Zack laughed. "No, it's just, I was never a big fan of school, but I'm going to miss it. Life on the ship I mean, you know? No wonder Maya broke up with me, she had her whole life figured out. I don't know what I'm supposed to do after high school. I never thought about it. I figured it would just..." he trailed off. Looking at Woody, he knew that his friend had excepted his explanation for whatever unusual behavior he had displayed. Probably because every word he had said was the absolute truth.

He knew Cody was devastated about his rejection from Yale, and Zack felt bad for him, he really did. But Cody always had a flood of opportunities offered to him. He'd be fine.

"Hey, I'm with you," Woody replied. "I have no idea what..." He stopped speaking abruptly, and followed Zacks eyes toward the sound of approaching heals on concrete.

"Woodrow," an older woman called out after him. The mere sound sent chills down his spine. He turned, and there the stood, the old witch. She was older than he'd expected, probably in her mid-fifties. Thin, and very professional looking with short brown hair wearing dress pants, and a light colored blouse.

Her large, thick-rimmed glasses seemed to suit her age more than her attire. Zack thought he had also noticed a subtle limp in her walk, but he let the thought go as it wasn't a concern of his right now. He was more interested in learning who she was.

"Woodrow, I just want to talk to you." She told him looking down briefly at the stack of paper in her hands, and pushing it under the handle of the clipboard she was also holding along with a manila envelope. She appeared to be having trouble holding on to everything at first, but after a moment of fidgeting, she quickly regained her composure.

"It's Woody," he replied harshly. "And I have nothing to say to you. C'mon Zack." He took a step forward, then stopped again feeling the old ladies hand on his shoulder.

"Just listen then," she told him. Seeing the deep shade of red cross Woody's normally pale skin, Zack decided it was time to intervene.

"Lady," he started by removing her hand from his shoulder. "He said no, so why don't you leave us alone."

"I'm not the enemy here Woodr," she started to say, but corrected herself mid sentence. "I mean Woody."

"Let me guess, you're related to him," he said scornfully.

"I..." the older woman stuttered, looking down at her shoes.

"Yeah, thought so. Thanks for showing up for my graduation, whoever you are. Take care," Woody walked away more quickly this time, pulling Zack along with him. He was determined to make it into the seaside restaurant this time, he could almost see the name of it now. High heals shuffled along behind them. "I'm his sister, but Woody, please wait! Please!" He continued as if he hadn't heard her, and honestly, she couldn't blame him. But she had to follow the instructions she was given. "I... I have letters from your sisters."

That got a reaction. He stopped dead in his tracks and faced her. After a moment, he extended his hand. "Which sisters? Willa? Give them to me."

She fumbled nervously through the papers in her hand. "Willa, yes," she stuttered. "And um... Wen," she continued passing him small envelopes. "This one is from Winter..."

He paused at Wen's, easily recognizing her writing on the envelope. Wen was his oldest sister, he hadn't seen her in years.

"It was Wen that hired me," she tried gently, seeing him stare at the envelope with her name on it.

"What?" Woody asked in confusion. He backed away from her slowly, bumping into Zack in the process. Dang it! He'd forgotten about Zack. How was he going to explain this?

No, Zack didn't matter, first he had to deal with the old witch. She was obviously lying. "Wen hired you? No, mom hired you. That's how it works. That's how it always works. She sent you here to pick me up, and bring me back to Ohio.

"You're half right," she replied nodding her head. "But I don't listen to your mom, I listen to your sister."

Zack could almost see the puzzle coming together in Woody's mind, meanwhile his understanding was fragmenting further.

"Oh my God," Woody breathed each word slowly. "She actually did it." The woman nodded her head. "She hired you? She actually hired you to... Why would? Oh my God!" Woody could feel the world shrinking around him. A sharp pain in his chest caused him to fall to his knees. His mind echoed the thought, "please be a heart attack", but he said nothing at all for a couple of moments.

"Deep slow breaths Woody," she told him placing her hand on his shoulder once more. She knelt down to his level, trying to keep a respectful distance from him. A young man she had just met. "You're doing fine."

"Don't you dare touch me!" He whispered harshly. She pulled her hand away, and it was replaced by Zacks in an instant. He tried not to think about the frightening fact that he'd probably have to explain some of this later. Instead he felt surprisingly relieved not to be facing this witch alone.

Zack stood, and put a hand out to him. "Thank's," Woody mouthed.

Zack nodded. "Feeling alright now? Should I um, get my parents, get dragon lady out of here," he said audibly. Woody smiled sadly, but shook his head.

"Woody," she said after a moment. "I'm not here to take you back to Ohio. If you would like me to take you somewhere, I can. I could take you to see your sister..."

"I am not going with you," He told her, then asked. "Where are my sisters?"

"Most of them attend a year around boarding school in Pennsylvania. Willa included address in her letter. Wen is living in Ohio, but she has her own house. She and Wyara created their own home business." She paused, "But Woody, I can't leave you here without knowing where you're staying."

"I don't know, ok?" Woody replied.

"Sure you do buddy," Zack piped in. "You're gonna be living in Boston with us, remember?"

Woody gave him a bewildered look, then realized, Zack was giving him exactly what he needed. Telling that lady he didn't know where he was planning to live? What was he thinking! That was the surest way to become a her passenger.

"Zack," he whined, but shot him a smile before continuing. "I told you not to say anything."

"Please?" She asked.

Woody looked the older woman straight in the face, and told her. "I'm going to be living with two of the guys I graduated with. We will be living in Boston, so if you will just leave me Wen's phone number, I will call her with an address."

"The phone numbers are on top here," she told him pulling another sheet of paper from the clipboard. "There's just... There is one other thing Woody," she told him quietly.

"Your sister, Wen," the older woman started reluctantly. "She um..." the woman paused again, looking down at the remaining items in her hand. "I... I don't know that if this is the right thing to do, but she insisted." Zack watched as all of the color drained from Woody's face. What the heck was going on?

This all felt so wrong! The older woman was beginning to regret ever showing up at all, but she had to follow Wen's instincts.

The boy was just standing there staring at her. His face had gone pale, perhaps a little green. Just when she was sure he was going to throw up, the greenish hue disappeared. He was still staring, so she waited, assuming that one of the millions of questions that had to be racing through his mind would soon be asked, but he remained silent.

His friend, the dirty blond who had scowled at her earlier didn't have the same calm appearance he had earlier either. Instead he was tense, as if expecting danger at any second. He clearly knew very little of the situation. She suspected he wasn't very bright, probably impulsive, but easily underestimated. He seemed to have an acute awareness of his surroundings.

The silence continued, but she resisted the urge to comfort him. She had to remember, he saw her as an enemy, and that was a reality that she would have to accept. Instead she obeyed Wen, and gave him everything. Every paper, everything tucked into the clipboard, and the entire manila folder. "I am sorry Woody. I'm glad you've made good friends here. Please call your sister. Do you need any cash?" She held out several folded bills, and he backed away disgusted.

Zack tried to help take some of the things overflowing from his hands. "No," he said sharply.

"I was just trying to help," Zack told him.

"Don't touch anything," he whispered.

Zack nodded. "I'll just take some of these bags then? From your cabin on the ship. So you can carry..." he trailed off feeling like an idiot. He sounded pathetic, almost motherly, but to his surprise, there was no mocking. Only the silent, barely visible nod of Woody's head.

The woman looked back and forth between Woody's steadfast stare on the cash she held out to him, and the cash itself. Finally it dawned on her. "Woody, the cash is from your sister. It's from Wen, no one else." Slowly his hand reached up to take it from her.

"Do you need anything, or have any questions? I... I'm trying, but I know that doesn't mean much. I don't expect it too." He was completely silent. Zack had dozens of questions, perhaps millions, but he kept his mouth shut. "Would it be best if I just leave?" She asked finally. He nodded his head. "Alright then," she said taking in a deep breath.

Zack stood next to his trance-like friend, and watched the old woman walk toward her car, and drive away.

-  
>AN: I'd be curious to know how obvious or mysterious the plot line seems at this point.<p>

Zack is going to need time to figure all of this out. If the plot is already obvious... Well, I just don't want Zack to seem stupid. 


	6. Chapter 6

Woody clenched the mess of papers and envelopes to his chest. He was relieved that the woman had left, but now he was faced with something even more difficult. What would Zack think? What would the rest of his friends think if they knew? He wanted to run. More than anything he desperately wanted to run, but where would he go? Zack could keep up with him easily, and probably would follow him. Surely he'd have questions... Questions Woody wasn't prepared to answer.

He looked out toward the ship, his home being torn apart. The water would probably be the safest place to run, he reasoned. He could jump in, and swim under the ship, and with any luck he'd drown.

"Woody," Zack said with even more concern than before. This had to be the tenth time he had said his name, and finally his entraced friend looked up at him.

Zack studied his facial expression. It bore vague similarities to an expression he had once seen on Cody's face, and undoubtedly mirrored. The first time they had been caught cheating on a Biology exam in middle school. Zack had convinced Cody to let him copy a couple of his answers, and the teacher swooped in out of nowhere, pulling the pencils from both of their hands.

Even Zack had been caught off guard, but Cody was in tears. Both were sent to the principals office. A vivid recollection of his twin shaking in fear was still fresh in his mind after all these years.

They were barely in sixth grade at the time, but already Cody had worried about college. Even after the principal had assured him that it wouldn't be on his permanent record, Cody was inconsolible. He didn't want to face his mother or his teacher.

Zack hadn't cared about any of that very much. He was more disappointed about not getting away with it, and wondered what his punishment would envolve.

Fear? Could that be what Woody was experiencing? But that didn't make much sense, the old lady was gone. Unless... Could Woody be afraid of facing him? He wasn't even entirely sure what he had just witnessed! This whole situation was over his head!

Woody's eyes darted back and forth between him, and the ship. Zack knew he had to say something, especially when he heard his friend mumble incoherently about ratman and having the power to become invisible.

"Woody," he said again standing directly in front of him, and placing a reassuring hand on his forearm. "Listen to me man. How about we bring some of this to the car, and grab some lunch. Free food, remember?"

"You..." Woody stuttered, seeming to need a moment to collect his thoughts. "You're not..." he tried to continue, but stopped, looking down at the papers and envelope in his hands, shuffling them uncomfortably. "Well, no, because everything is... And..."

"Woody," he said to be sure he still had his attention. "I don't know what's going on, and I won't say a word about it if that's what you want, alright?" Zack told him seriously. Relief washed over Woody's face as he nodded slowly. Zack was just glad to have apparently chosen the right words to say, but he had a feeling that whatever was going on wasn't going to simply disappear. If anything, he had merely bought himself more time.

More time for what? He wasn't sure about that either, but he forced himself to keep in mind that he may very well be preventing Woody's suicide.

Zack opened the trunk of his fathers car and piled their suitcases inside. "Uh Zack, shouldn't you ask your parents first?"

"Nah," he replied. "You're coming with us to see the Yankees anyway, right? So they'll be expecting you."

"Not in Boston," he replied. "Wait a second, you were serious about that Yankees game?"

"Yep, my dad got tickets," Zack replied. "And once we get inside I'll ask mom about Boston. Don't worry, she'll be cool with it."

Before Zack could close up the car, Woody opened his duffle and pulled out an old green backpack. He watched as Woody shoved everything the old woman had given him inside, and tossed it over his shoulder. "Ready," Woody announced.

Zack smiled. "Let's eat," he slammed the trunk closed, and followed Woody toward the restaurant.

Finally, Woody was able to read the sign. "Blueport Seafood?" Woody asked. Zack shrugged. "Reminds me a little of green eggs and ham."

"Over here," Carey called out to them. They had taken longer than she had expected, but she was glad to see them laughimng. Woody sat down next to Cody, while Zack sat across from him next to his father.

"What took you so long?" Cody asked Zack skeptically.

"Addison," Zack replied, as if her very name explained everything.

Cody nodded apparently accepting his explantion, and shoved over a plate of fries. "Help yourself, I'm finished."

"They're not green," Zack pointed out picking up a fry, and plopping it into his mouth.

Woody laughed. Grabbing a handful he stuffed several into his mouth. "You sure you don't want anymore Cody?" He asked with his mouth full.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm just going to call Bailey again."

"You just called her not five minutes ago," Kurt said.

"Honey, she couldn't possibly have landed yet." Carey added.

"Oh, I know, it's just that we've been developing proofs for a theorem we're creating. I think I have the final proof we need! It's... It's hard to explain, but I have to leave her a message and document the time." Cody fled from the table with his cell phone.

"Ok then," Zack said reaching across the table to grab Cody's neatly folded napkin. Shaking it opened revealed a ridiculous list of... Well, something mathematical that he couldn't begin to comprehend. "Damn Yale admissions," he said under his breath, but his father heard him.

"Watch your language there," Kurt told him.

"Seriously? What is all this?" Zack asked holding it up.

"Counting?" Woody asked. "I don't think he got the order right."

"Guys, guys," Carey said grabbing the napkin, and folding it back in front of Cody's plate.

"Alright, we have fish sticks and fries left at the table," she gestured. "I'll go grab a couple of hotdogs, and two sodas. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds great," Zack replied. "I'm starved."

"Me too, thanks!" Woody replied.

"Be right back," Carey told them as she stood from the table to rejoin the line. She was glad to see there were only a few people ahead of her.

Cody sat back down moments later. "Who touched my napkin?" Zack laughed. "It was you, wasn't it?" He pointed at his twin.

"You know, I've been counting since the second grade," Woody told him, pointing at the numbers on the napkin. "That's not right."

"Your not right," Cody said with a sigh. "It's a miracle you even made it to the second grade."

"Hurtful," Woody whined, but his smile returned quickly as their conversation continued.

Zack chose that moment to get up and join his mother in line. "Hey Zack, did you guys need something else?"

"Yep, I need you to invite Woody to live with us in Boston." He replied.

"I was uh," she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Referring to food," she gestured to the menu above the counter.

"I know," he replied. "But I was talking about Woody and Boston, and him living with us."

"Zack," she droned out.

"Mom, wait," he said quietly. "You said your working at a different hotel now, right? A bigger one in south Boston or something?

"I was given the opportunity to transfer to the new Tipton hotel a couple of months ago," she admitted. "But Zack..."

"And you took the job, right?" He asked, but continued before she could respond. "And the suites are larger? You said you were getting a raise, and we'd each get our own rooms if we needed them?"

"I thought you said you never got the email I sent about my new job," she said slowly. She shook her head. Cody had called to congratulate her right away, but Zack had conveniently forgotten until just now.

"Oh," Zack thought a moment. "I guess I did get that one. So there's room for him, right?"

"Zack," she said slowly. "You and Cody are adults now, and with the housing market the way it is, I know it will be difficult for you both. That's why I've worked very hard to make sure you, your brother and I would all have our own private spaces. I want you to understand that I've worked hard for this Zack. So that you and your brother will always have your own bedroom, a place to call home for as long as you need."

Zack gave his mother a brief hug. "He could bunk with Cody," Zack suggesed. "They've been roommates for years. Look at em over there, they miss each other already." He gestured to the table.

"Zack," she replied more sternly.

"He could bunk with me then," he replied just as easily. "And I'll get a job..."

"You'd give up your own room?" Carey asked. Zack nodded. "You better get a job," she whispered with a smile.

"He can come?" Zack asked. Carey nodded. "Thanks mom," he said with a smile, turning toward the table.

"Try," she said putting an hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her. "Try to keep your room a little clean."

-  
>AN: I'm not sure how other writers manage to receive so many reviews, but I've decided that I will be continuing this piece with or without further reviews.<p>

Again, I apologize if the quality is poor, or my updates are too sporadic. I write to entertain myself during the few ours I am awake. 


	7. Chapter 7

AN: This chapter begins one day later at approximately 7am.  
>-<p>"It's time guys," Kurt said aloud returning to the hotel room, coffee in hand. Had he been told yesterday morning that the return trip was going to involve spending the night in a New York hotel room with his ex-wife, he wouldn't have believed it. Yet that is perceisely what had happened.<p>

They were on friendly terms. They were friends in fact! Not best friends, but good friends. So he had tried to convince himself it wasn't awkward at all. What could possibly be awkward about sleeping in the same room with your ex-wife after eleven years.

Carey approached from behind him, exiting the bathroom. Just out of the shower, she still wore a white bath towel in her hair to keep her clothes from getting wet. She squeezed passed Kurt, and flicked the lights on. "Time to get up. Let's go," she spoke over tired groans.

They weren't getting any sympathy from her this morning, she was exhausted. Though admittedly, she was the type of person to occasionally have trouble sleeping even in the best of conditions. It wasn't a serious problem, but she had definitely picked up the family insomnia gene, if there was such a thing.

However, the five of them spending the night in a small hotel room intended for four people certainly wasn't an ideal sleeping arrangement. Especially when one of those people was your ex-husband. And it wasn't that he was a bad person, he wasn't. They were just so different. She didn't understand why she was feeling so tense though, she had known the guy for years. It was just an odd situation, one which she would have preferred to avoid.

Hearing Zack and Woody up whispering half of the night hadn't helped her much either, but at least she wouldn't be the one driving.

Cody stood yawning, then stretched peacefully. "Ah," he sighed lightly taking a moment to lookout the window. There wasn't much of a view anymore, now that he wasn't aboard the SS Tipton, but he did his best to enjoy it nonetheless.

Kurt sat down at the small table, which was shoved up against the wall next to the bathroom door. He opened his old laptop, and continued drinking his coffee as he stared straight ahead at the map on his screen.

Carey pulled the towel from her hair, dropped it into the bathroom, and brushed her hair before packing up several last minute items. "Come on guys," she reminded them a few moments later. Zack growned again, but remained motionless on the roll away bed. While Woody, fast asleep on the sofa, had the sheet pulled up to his eyebrows, leaving only a mop of dark curls visible on the pillow case.

Cody continued getting ready, pulling off his plain white shirt, and replacing it with a solid black one. Next he grabbed a pair of clean boxer-briefs, khaki pants, and a green button down shirt with a collar. On his way to the bathroom, he also grabbed his comb and toothbrush. Looking back at Zack and Woody he said, "I guess no one else needs the bathroom?" He paused a second still staring in silence. "No? Huh, it's just like school." He mumbled entering the bathroom.

"Guys," she said sitting down on the edge of Zack's bed. "I know it's early, but come on. A couple hours in the car, and we will be in Boston."

Cody returned from the bathroom looking refreshed, and ready to leave. He quickly packed his laundry into segmented sections of his suitcase before finally looking up at his mother. At least she appeared to be making progress. Zack was sitting up now.

"Cody, will you wake Woody?" Carey asked. Cody nodded, walking towards his sleeping friend.

"Woody," Cody said as he approached the sofa. He rolled his eyes at the lack of response. This was the kind of thing you got used to when sharing a bedroom with Zack most of his life, only to end up as Woody's roommate during high school. "Woody," he said a bit louder. "It's time to get up."

"It's not like I did my homework," Woody mummbled.

At that, Cody had to laugh. "This time, I didn't do my homework either," he told him, which seemed to get his Woody's attention. His eyes opened, and the sheet fell to his nose, then slowly progressed to his chin. "Boston, remember?" Cody reminded his confused friend. "We're officially high school graduates. No more homework, unless you're considering college. I wouldn't mind helping you apply. I uh," he continued somewhat more glumly. "I have a few applications to fill out myself."

The look of bewilderment left his face in an instant. He sat up taking only a moment to realize that everyone was ready to go except for Zack and himself. "Dang it!" Woody exclaimed standing immediately. "I'm sorry," he said as he scrambled through his stuff, ultimately taking his entire duffle to the bathroom.

Cody raised his eyebrows, "that was odd," he said quietly, but shrugged it off. Woody was typically layed back, but he could also be a little eccentric sometimes.

"Your fine Woody," Carey called after him. More quietly she asked, "Was he wearing a backpack? Did he wear a backpack to bed?

"I think he just grabbed that huge duffle bag," Cody replied thinking back to what he had seen.

"No," Carey shook her head. "I mean that green backpack from yesterday."

"Yeah, he wouldn't part with it at the game yesterday either," Kurt whispered spinning toward them in his chair. Thankfully, his morning coffee seemed to be doing the trick. "So the kid has backpack issues. I thought he was a little weird. Different takes you places." He made an attempt at tossing his empty coffee cup into a nearby trashcan, but it hit the rim and fell to the side.

"That explains the smell," Cody replied conversationally as he tossed his fathers empty coffee cup into the trash. Kurt eyed him. "Oh, not that, I was referring to that old green backpack. It's filthy!"

"I'm a little concerned," Carey said seriously.

"It's Woody," Cody explained. "We'll just have to make a showering sche..."

"Leave it alone," Zack said defensively cutting their conversation short. "It's a backpack, big deal, and Cody's gotta blanket. Can we move on? There's nothing weird ab..." he stopped mid sentence. Great, now they were staring at him like he was some kind of lunatic. "I'm up, I'm up," he went with an abrupt change of topic, trailing multiple blankets on the floor behind him, then kicking them away as he grabbed random clothing garments from his suitcase. "Now can I have a little privacy here? I've gotta change."

"Sure," Carey replied rising to her feet, but are you ok?"

"Yeah, sorry," he said. "I'm just tired." Carey knelt down on the floor beside Kurt somewhat uncomfortably to look at the map, while Cody merely turned away, standing guard in the short walkway.

"I don't see why we couldn't just keep going last night." Zack complained as he got dressed. "We'd be in Boston by now, and there'd be no reason to wake up early."

Woody exited the bathroom. "He's getting dressed," Cody gestured behind him.

"Nah, it's cool," Zack replied. Cody and Woody returned as Zack was pulling on his shirt.

"Are you decent?" Carey asked more cautiously. When they were younger, she had always been the type to enter their bedroom without knocking. She hadn't meant to disturb their privacy, but she was a single mother raising energetic twins in a hotel. She had always been protective of them, perhaps overly so. Now though, she knew that she would have to learn to allow them the appropriate level of privacy. Allowing the twins to attend high school on the SS Tipton had not only been a learning experience for them, but for her as well. She had to allow them to grow up.

She could only hope that they had learned about the need others have for privacy. Absolutely no more inviting friends into the bathroom while she was showering! How many times had that happened? She hadn't kept count. Clearly, leaving the bathroom door unlocked in case of emergency had meant something much different to her than it had to them at the time. Asking if their friends Tapeworm and Max could stay for dinner was not a valid reason for the four of them to show up in the bathroom while she was showering.

"Yep, am now," he replied. Normal activity resumed about the crowded hotel room as Zack packed up his belongings.

"Do you realize how hard it is to recover from sleep dept? It's practically a universal epidemic!" Cody exclaimed to his twin.

Carey smiled at them. They were so grown up. It had happened so fast!

"Wait a second, debt?" Woody asked looking away from the over stuffed duffle he was attempting to zip. "You have to pay for sleep?"

"No, no," Zack replied shaking his head. "Mom had a voucher for this place," Zack replied. "We slept here free."

"Guys," Cody said in exasperation. "Sleep debt is caused by getting less sleep than the body requires. We learned about this in Science class and Psychology class."

"Huh," Zack replied. "I must've been sleeping." He in Woody both laughed, and Cody rolled his eyes.

"Anyway," he continued. "The debt is not financial, it's physiological."

"Physio what?" Woody asked.

"Physiological," Cody repeated, continuing his explanation. "Sleep deprivation can build up quickly, but the harm it causes to the brain and other vital organs can't be repayed overnight. It's a serious problem! That's why I try to get between eight and ten hours of sleep each night."

"That's why we couldn't even make it out of New York after the Yankee game? Because you needed your beauty sleep?" Zack asked.

"When your old and tired you'll..." Cody cut himself off. "Mom? Are you alright?" He asked seeing the almost tearful expression on her face.

"My boys, my boys," she said hugging them both. The twins felt themselves being squished together in one of her famous mom hugs.

"Ugh, mom," Zack whined.

"So grown up," she told them. "I can't believe my high school graduates. Seems like only yesterday you..."

"Mom," Zack groaned again turning in her embrace. "C'mon, not the tears."

"We love you mom," Cody hugged her.

As Cody pulled away, Zack leaned in to hug her as well. "I love you mom," he told her.

She had calmed in an instant. It was as if Cody knew exactly what to say and do. If he had been more like Cody, would he not have lost Maya? He shook the thought away, not allowing it any further consideration.

Woody sat on the edge of the sofa, backpack on, and duffle by his feet. Every family had problems, it was what he'd always believed. But here in front of him, his every belief about the family dynamic was shattering. Why couldn't he have been their brother too?

He looked down at his shoes. In his peripheral view he could see fat bulging from his stomach, his thighs, his calves. It was everywhere! Why had Addison always told him he wasn't fat? He was! Looking up at the twins again, he became more disgusted with himself. No wonder their mother loves them so much! The dirty blond hair, slim, but muscular. Both were gorgeous! Zack's muscles were better defined, probably because he was strong and athletic. Cody was somewhat thinner, but he had a brilliant mind.

That was why he couldn't be their brother. He was... Nothing. His thoughts lead to daydreams of his own family for a brief moment, but it didn't take long for his thoughts to darken and his daydreams to become nightmarish memories. He was visibly startled when Kurt called out.

"Everyone packed and ready?" Kurt asked. Each of them nodded their heads. "Alright, everything out to the car then. We'll hit the first drive through we see." 


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Thank you for the reviews and encouragement!  
>-<p>"Ow," Zack groaned sleepily. Cody looked at his brother, it was the only sound he had made in hours. Zack had actually managed to sleep through the entire ride so far, including hours of traffic and the occasional stop. He was fully awake now though. Sitting up, he rubbed his hand across the side of his sore head.<p>

"Dad drove over the curbing, you hit your head on the window," Cody informed him. Zack nodded quietly at his explanation. Cody stared out the front window, leaning forward between his parents shoulders. "Where are we?" He asked as they pulled into a parking space.

"It wasn't a curb exacly,"Carey heard her ex-husband mumble. She raised an eyebrow at him curiously, did he need a dictionary? It had definitely been curbing.

"Dunkin Donuts," Woody replied. Cody rolled his eyes.

"I can see that," Cody said gesturing out the front window. "Why are we here?"

"Your dad couldn't figure out how to," Carey looked down at the directions, and read out loud. "From I-95 North take exit 12 to merge onto I-93."

"So we're lost?" Zack asked.

"We're not lost," Kurt replied, somewhat exasperated. "I said we'd make one more stop, and this is it." He turned the car off. "I'm getting a coffee. Same deal as before, everyone back here in ten minutes." He dropped his keys into his coat pocket, and exited the vehicle, heading straight for Dunkin Donuts.

"There's still a couple dollars in the glove compartment," Carey told them as she exited the vehicle. "Dunkin Donuts... Baskin Robbins... Bathrooms..." she gestured as she spoke, her voice trailing off for a moment. Squinting against the sun, she cupped a hand over her eyes like a visor. "If you need anything else, an Aspirin or something, I think that gas station might have a mini mart. We should probably stop for gas before we get back on the road anyway."

"Thank you mom," Cody replied leaning into the front seat to grab some cash.

"I'll be right back," she told them. "I don't know about you, but I definitely need to use the bathroom."

The passenger side door closed, and Cody flopped back into the back seat with a ten dollar bill. He didn't have a lot of room to maneuver, so he waited a minute for his twin to get out of the car, knowing he would. Despite his inherent laziness, Zack had always hated car trips.

Woody's phone vibrated for what seemed like the tenth time, and again Cody watched as he scrambled to hide it. Seatbelt unbuckled, and hand finally meeting the door, Zack also stopped to stare at him.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Cody asked.

Finally settling with shoving it under his leg, he looked vacantly at his hands, before returning his gaze to his blond friend. "Answer what?" He asked nervously.

"Wow," Cody replied, unable to respond for a moment. The anomaly had been odd before, but now with the car off and Woody acting so infinitely bizarre, it was even more ridiculous. "Your phone Woody. You know, that thing you've been ignoring since about ten this morning?"

"Oh this?" He asked holding up the phone in his hand once more as if he had just mysteriously found it under his left thigh. "That was just a text message," he shrugged.

"I may not have gotten into Yale, but I know when something is up. You're lying to me!"

"Hurtful," Woody whined.

"Yes, it is," Cody replied. "Name one cell phone model that vibrates continuously for a text message? Just one, or even one that has that option."

"Codes, just drop it," Zack whispered.

"Hey," Woody said with a laugh. "You're the smart one, remember? I don't even know what kind of cell phone this is," he looked down at it briefly, then back at Cody. "It has been acting kinda weird since I dropped it in the toilet yesterday though. Wanna whiff?" He smiled playfully, dangling it in front of Cody's nose.

"Just forget it," Cody replied pushing his arm away. "Zack, let me out of the car," he said climbing over his brother. Zack allowed his brother to shove past him without a word.

Zack stepped out of the car after him, and watched as he headed into Dunkin Donuts. "Woody," he spoke through the opened door. Woody followed, and Zack closed the door behind them. "C'mon man, what'd I miss? You ok?"

"Yeah fine," he replied. "Where... Where are we going?"

"Taking a walk," Zack replied. Woody continued following him beyond the Dunkin Donuts building, and through the grass. Eventually as they reached an expanse of forestry. The sound of traffic grew faint amidst the sway of leaves on the breeze. Zack stretched, and sat down on a nearby rock.

"I'm tired," Woody whined.

"Than sit down," Zack replied gesturing to the many large rocks that seemed to outline the dense forest.

Woody joined him. "What are we doing?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm just not fanatical about being stuck in the car for hours on end. I'd rather be playing basketball you know?"

"At least you fell asleep," Woody replied.

"Yeah, because I was bored," Zack said standing again. He entered the woods cautiously. Just a glance, nothing more.

"Where are you going now?" Woody asked.

"Nowhere," he replied, turning back he returned to the large rock he had been sitting on just moments before. "Just thinking."

"Again?" Woody teased. "What has school done to you?"

Zack smirked. "I'll never be Cody, I swear. Too much work"

The mention of Cody's name reminded Woody that his friend was probably mad at him. He closed his eyes, and sighed quietly.

"Couldn't go camping aboard the SS Tipton. That and school were really the only low points." Well, and his break up with Maya, but he didn't say that out loud. Where was a good rubber band when you needed one? He needed to get her out of his head!

"Camping?" Woody asked.

"You've never been camping?" Zack asked.

"I have, I have," Woody replied slowly, thinking back. "At least I think I have."

Zack turned sharply at the sound. Was that the vibration of a cell phone? It was hard to be sure, but the uncomfortable look on Woody's face seemed confirmation enough.

Woody pulled the phone from his pocket, and stared at the screen. Zack was standing beside him in an instant. "Do you want me to answer it?" He asked. "I could take a message, or tell them they've got the wrong number." The vibration stopped, and the screen went blank.

Zack watched his friend stare absently at the blank screen. Why did he look so scared? He had never acted this way on the ship... Woody looked up, and Zack sat down next to him.

"The prince of persia is unable to take your call as he is off rescuing his beloved maiden, but if you leave a message, the dark prince will be sure to make an entrance through your back door wielding the dagger of time," Zack whispered, leaning his partially crossed arms onto his knees. He turned his head to watch for Woody's reaction. First a look of confusion, followed by a smile, then outright laughter.

"What? No good?" He asked smiling.

Still laughing Woody attempted to reply. "No... That was... That was funny..."

When their mutual laughter finally died down, Zack watched as he opened his phone again. "The phone calls are from Ohio," Woody whispered. His voice only barely audible. He scrolled down the missed calls list. Of course, Zack didn't recognize a single number.

"216, 419, 440, 740," Woody started.

"Hey, whatcha listing there man?" Zack asked placing an arm over Woody's shoulder. He tried to play it casual, but he could feel his heart rate racing again. The haunted look his friend had been sporting the past couple of days just wasn't a good look for him.

"Area codes Zack," Woody replied standing up. He spoke more quickly, pacing in small three to four step strides. "937... All of these are from Ohio," he closed his phone, and returned it to his pocket. "Who are these people? Maybe Wen... I guess it could be mom, but she knows I don't answer unless she calls from her cell. How else could I be sure it was her, and not Sss," he stuttered. "Somebody else."

Zack was staring at him, and dang it, he was acting like he'd lost his mind. Maybe he had! Maybe he had left it back on the SS Tipton where he'd been safe. "Dang it," he droned out.

"Woody," Zack said sternly. "Woody," he said again taking hold of him firmly by the forearms. It truly seemed to be the only way to get his attention lately. "Listen to me, we are in Massachusetts, about thirty minutes from Boston. We are not going to Ohio, ok?" Woody stilled, but said nothing. "Turn off your phone."

"What?" Woody asked in surprise. It was as if the thought of turning his cell phone off had never even occurred to him. And perhaps the power button wasn't the most commonly used feature on a cell phone, especially among their age group, but Zack was almost certain that every phone had one. Granted, it had taken him more than a year to acknowledge the existence of such a feature on his own phone. His only incentive being Miss. Tutweiller and her obsessive confiscation of his ringing cell phone during class.

"Just turn it off," he said again when Woody didn't move. "Let whoever it is assume you lost coverage, your battery died, whatever. We'll get you a new number in Boston and you can call whoever you want, ok?"

Woody nodded, and powered off his cell phone, placing it back into his pocket. "Dang it! Dang it Zack, I'm sorry, you must think I'm crazy!"

"Not crazy," he replied. "But there is not a chance in hell that I'd let anyone take you back to Ohio against your will. The next time you wanna take a trip to Ohio, I'm coming with you."

Woody stood stunned as Zack walked past him. What had Zack just said? Woody shook his head remembering that his well intentioned friend had no idea what he was talking about. He liked the twins though, and he was glad to be going to Boston with them. Maybe he would be safe there, for a while at least.

He still hadn't been able to read the letters from his sisters or figure out exactly what Wen was planning, and how much of her plan had been executed. He worried about his mother... If the old lady was true to her word, than his sisters were safe. The boarding school in Pennsylvania seemed plausible enough, Willa had mentioned an out of state school on many occasions.

Memories scrambled through his mind mixing insignificant details with real world horrors. Not now! He could not afford another flashback. He never should have gotten off that ship. He held hid breath a moment and let the breeze wash over him as he stepped forward.

Zack listened hopefully for footsteps to follow, and was thankful when he finally heard them. The sudden urge he felt to protect his friend had surprised Zack nearly as much as it had surprised Woody. He had never felt so protective of Woody before. What had changed?

At some point during his slow stroll to the car he started to realize, he was actually feeling a little embarrassed. Had he not been getting enough sleep or something? Maybe there was something to that sleep debt thing Cody had been going on about. He hoped the seating arrangement in the car would remain the same, with Cody sitting between him. How could he face Woody after what he had said?

Then again, had it really been so bad? Despite their occasional arguments, Zack had always been protective of Cody too. But when had he started thinking of Woody like a brother?

"I told you they'd be back," Carey told Kurt, smiling as they approached the car. She had grown accustom to Zack's wanderings many years ago. "He has done this on every road trip since he was eight years old," Carey told added.

Zack leaned into her arms unexpectedly, and she put her arms around him. "You look exhausted honey, are you ok?" Zack nodded, pulling away from the hug.

"Are you sure you aren't getting sick?" Carey placed her hand on his forehead.

"Mom," he whispered harshly pushing her hand away. "Not in public. I'm not five years old."

"Sorry honey, but you look flushed, and you've slept almost the entire car ride," she said.

"I'm just really tired," he replied.

"Alright," she nodded her head, though she wasn't entirely convinced. She would have attributed her sons unusual state of mind to his recent breakup with Maya, but Woody seemed out of sorts as well. Though, admittedly, he was much harder to read, as she didn't know him very well.

"So, you guys were up kind of late last night," she remarked casually. That earned her two fleeting, but very clear looks of panic. The matching masks they wore on their faces further confirming that there was indeed something very wrong.

"Cody, would you like to take over as navigator for a little bit?" She asked waving the map at him.

"Yes, please do," Kurt replied. "We might actually get there sometime today."

"Hello, I'm right here," Carey said. Cody took the map, and sat down in the front next to his father.

"Alright guys," she put an arm over each Zack and Woody.

X-X

Thinking back, Carey wasn't actually sure how she ended up getting the middle seat, but she was sure Zack had something to do with it.

The same eighteen year old who had apparently been embarrassed by his mother placing a hand on his forehead to check his temperature was now laying his head against his shoulder, possibly asleep. Woody stared out the window.

"Have you ever lived in a city like Boston?" She asked Woody casually. She had heard a lot about him from Cody, but since he would be living with them, she wanted to get to know him.

"I'm from Cleveland," he replied.

"Cleveland," Carey echoed in reply. "Now that's a pretty big city. Did you like it there?" She could sense he was nervous, but hoped her casual demeanor would put him at ease.

Did he like it? Ha! Well, he couldn't exactly say no, now could he? "Yeah," he choked out. "Excuse me," he cleared his throat. "We've got the uh... Westside Market, lots of good food there. And the uh... Rock in Roll Hall of Fame."

"Sounds interesting," she replied nodding her head politely. His distain for the place was immediately obvious to her, so she decided to drop the topic and talk about Boston instead. "Zack and Cody have told me so much about you," she told him. "I'm so glad you're able to join us in Boston. It's going to be great!" She smiled.

Her smile brightened when Woody returned the gesture. "Thanks for inviting me," he said.

Carey's phone beeped, and Zack groaned lazily as she attempted to pull it from her pocket.

Woody looked out the window happily. He liked Carey, already he could tell she was as genuine as she appeared. Perhaps he really would be ok.

Zack opened his eyes just in time to catch the name on the front screen of her flip phone. "Maddie?" He asked wide eyed staring up at his mother. "Wait, why is Maddie texting you?"

"We're friends Zack," she replied. "She was just letting me know that Roger was able to get the extra bed I requested."

"Oh," he replied. Right, his mother had probably had to go through a lot of trouble to get an extra bed in their room. He hadn't even thought of that.

Wait a second... Two questions rushed out of his mouth at once. "Maddie works at the new Tipton? Who the heck is Roger?"

Carey took in a deep breath, had she mentioned Roger? She had, hadn't she. "Yes, she does reservations now."

"Great, and Roger is?" He asked impatiently.

"Roger does maintenance. He's also Maddie's fiancé," she said gently. Zack felt his heart break for the second time in three days.

-  
>AN: Thank you for reading! There is more to come!<p>

Again, I apologize for errors and sporadic updates. This is the best I am able to do from a cell phone. I have the type of illness that doesn't get any better, but I try to write on my good days! 3 Tera 


	9. Chapter 9

AN: This chapter begins three days later at approximately 11am.  
>-<p>"I love you too," Cody replied into his cell phone.<p>

When the phone rang, Carey hadn't expected Cody to allow the interruption. After a late evening at work, she had allowed herself to sleep in until about an hour ago. She hadn't been particularly surprised to see Cody had awakened before her, but to see him working diligently at the table on college applications as if he had been at it for hours, well, it concerned her. He hadn't even accepted her offer for breakfast. Having accepted that her son would not be distracted for a moment, she settled on leaving a tall glass of milk for him on the table. At least that had earned her a smile.

She knew Cody was disappointed about Yale, it had upset her too. Not because she wanted him to attend such a prestigious school, god knows she didn't have that kind of money, but because it's what Cody had always dreamed of.

Watching him obsess about long overdue college applications was heartbreaking. Why had he only applied to the one school? Then again, why should he have had to apply anywhere else. There was no reason to think Yale wouldn't accept him. She shook her head, and stood from th sofa sipping the last of her herbal tea.

She wasn't the greatest cook, as her children often reminded her, but she did appreciate the larger kitchen. She washed the dishes, then the counter tops, before walking back into the living room to space the bar stools more evenly in front of the breakfast bar. It was nearly noon, so Zack and Woody would probably wake within the next hour.

"Why not?" Zack asked following Woody into the living room.

Carey looked up in surprise. Perhaps they would be awake sooner than she expected. Carey looked at her son awkwardly. While Woody had entered the living room fully clothed, Zack was strutting around in his boxers. "Are you out of clean clothes or something?" She asked.

"Maybe tonight," Woody said trying to reach a compromise.

"What's wrong with you?" He accused. "We've got free tickets! It's Zombie Mom 5! We've been talking about this since Christmas! How could you not want to see it?"

Zack flopped down on the sofa. Woody turned away, trying not to stare. What the heck was he doing? Perfect body leaning back like that clad only in boxers? Muscular... Blonde... Thin...

"I do want to see it," Woody replied, staring at the floor. There it was again, his stomach, bulging from his shirt. He couldn't even see skin, but it disgusted him. "Hey Cody," he said unnecessarily loud. "We've gotta free ticket for you too."

"I was getting to that," Zack said impatiently. "Don't worry about Cody, he will come with us."

"Yes I will," Cody replied looking up from the table. "But only because I refuse to deal with you sleeping with me in my twin sized bed for an entire week! A twin sized bed is meant for one person Zack, one, that's it. Not twins!"

"I was five," Zack exclaimed.

"No, you were fourteen," Cody told him.

"Whatever," Zack replied. "You were scared."

"I was perfectly fine sleeping on my own thank you very much," Cody said refocusing on his college applications.

"The movie starts at 1pm," Zack said.

"I told you, I can't go until after six," Woody replied.

"Why not?" Zack asked.

"Because," he replied slowly. "Because I got a job."

"What?" Zack exclaimed.

The pen dropped from Cody's hand as he retuned swiveled in his chair to stare at Woody from across the room. "You can't be serious... You've only been here for three days, how could you possibly have a job already?"

"Guys, hey," Carey scolded lightly as she approached Woody. His face was bright red. "What they were trying to say is congratulations! Finding a job in just three days! Wow! I could have used a skill like that when I was your age, heck I still could!"

"Well it's only part time," he told her, hoping she wouldn't be disappointed. Her smile never faded.

"I think that's great Woody," she told him honestly. "You've just graduated high school, there's no need for any of you to to rush into anything," she said looking at Cody briefly. "I mean, I expect each of you to think about your future, and make some important life decisions at some point. There could be a class you want to take, or a job opportunity that interests you. I think part time work is very appropriate Woody."

He smiled shyly, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she stepped closer to hug the young man. Perhaps he was a bit peculiar at times, and she hadn't yet known him for very long, but already she had taken a liking to him. "I'm proud of you," she added, and Carey felt the tension in his body melt away almost instantly.

All she had known about him she had learned in Cody's letters, which in the beginning had only contained detailed descriptions of his disgusting habits. Later, his name came up frequently, whenever the twins would tell her about their recent adventures aboard the SS Tipton. Now, getting to know him herself, her motherly instinct was painting a different picture than the twins had described.

Carey found herself wondering about his family life. What kind of parent doesn't show up when their child graduates high school? Woody was more sensitive than he let on, she could tell. He craved acceptance. Carey eyed Cody over his shoulder.

"Sorry Woody," Cody said.

"Yeah, sorry man," Zack echoed. "So uh, where do you work?"

"In the conference rooms," Woody replied. "Level twenty-two."

"You work at the hotel?" Cody asked, again intrigued. Woody nodded. Carey was impressed, but Zack's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"So tonight?" Woody asked. Zack nodded slowly in reply. "Ok. Well, I gotta go meet up with my boss before my shift starts."

"Good luck," Both Carey and Cody called out after him as he headed toward the door.

"Good... Luck..." Zack spoke a little to late.

"I did not see that coming," Cody stood up from the table stacking his perfected applications neatly. "Woody has a job... Here! At the hotel!"

"He is a good kid," Carey observed.

"Good kid?" Cody asked. "You're half right mom, he's a kid. And despite his many idiosyncrasies, I will always consider him to be one of my best friends. But mom, he's a mess! He almost never showers, plus Bailey had to teach him how to use deodorant!" He paused a moment to look at twin, then back at his mother. "Did you know he had worse grades than Zack? And he's always making up these ridiculous stories... Lies..."

"Lies?" Zack repeated still seemingly in shock. Cody knew he should stop talking, but apparently he wasn't quite over the fact that Woody had obviously lied to him in the car the other day.

Not to mention the fact that his girlfriend was going to she college he had wanted to go to for years! Longer than she had wanted to go there, but he hadn't been accepted while she had. How was he supposed to feel?

"Just how many siblings does he have exactly?" Cody asked. "Let's see, I've heard he's the youngest of nine. All brothers was it? Until he mentions having a... A larger sister," he gestured. "Then out of nowhere we meet Willa. So which is it? Oh, and remember the toe thing? He's got five toes on each foot, just like everyone else."

"You counted his toes?" Carey asked in confusion.

"That's not the point mom, the point is... I... I don't know what the point is," Cody said finally.

"Maybe he's growing up," Carey replied. "What time did you wake up this morning? Did you even eat? Let's have some breakfast and relax, just the three of us." She looked back to where Zack had been standing, but he had already disappeared from the room. "Did you see where Zack went?"

"In his room to put some clothes on I hope," he replied.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "The two of us then, ok?" She asked. Cody sighed, allowing the stress of college applications and life in general to escape him in exchange for a few minutes of calm.

X-X

Zack returned to bed, and pulled the blankets over his head. "I am such a loser," he mumbled to himself uncharacteristicly. His over achieving twin was applying to college, and his best friend already had a job. All he had thought about since getting back to Boston was going to the movies, playing video games, finding his old skateboard, and maybe playing a little basketball.

His beautiful girlfriend left him to join the Peace Corp... He wasn't even entirely sure what the Peace Corp was! He had never even known she was interested in joining! Then Maddie, his longtime crush was engaged to some idiot! An idiot that he couldn't even be certain possessed any idiot-like qualities because he'd never met the man! He had never heard anything about this so called Roger, but he still hated him.

Again he thought of his twin. Cody seemed to know what he was doing. He didn't get into Yale, but he was still trying to get into college.

Perhaps he should follow Cody's lead on this one decision. Perhaps he should apply to college too? His mind drew a picture of him back in the classroom, and the thought disgusted him. Besides why would he want his parents paying for something he had been trying to escape for the past thirteen years. No, college was out of the question.

Zack wondered, what would Cody do if he couldn't get into college for some reason? "As if that would happen," he mumbled to himself. Then again, most of the schools Cody wanted to attend were expensive. Maybe his brother would consider himself too good for community college. Cody wasn't really like that though, right?

He continued in his thoughts nonetheless, and after a few moments, the answer came to him. Cody would get a job obviously, just as Woody had.

Woody... Woody had surprised the heck out of him today. Unlike both Zack and Cody who had jobs handed to them on the ship, Woody had never worked a day in his life. How was it that Woody had a job, and he didn't?

Wait... How had he gotten that job on the SS Tipton. He remembered the irresponsible spending spree but he had serious doubts about that being a merit on his resume. No, the job had literally been handed to him.

He blinked away a single tear that had formed in his eye. Just allergies, he decided sniffling a second, because there was no way he was crying. He'd never expected it to come to this. Everyone else seemed to have their whole lives all figured out. Even Woody was ahead of him! Not that it was a competition... Unless, maybe it was, and hadn't become aware of it until it was too late. Now, everyone he'd ever known had surpassed him. He had been left behind. The only one with no idea what he was supposed to be doing.

And damn it, how the hell was he supposed to keep an eye on Woody? Which level had he said again? Twenty? Twenty-two? What if he decided to fling himself out a window? Who knows what was going through Woody's mind. Zack certainly didn't anymore.

Zack felt his heart pounding. Man he was exhausted. He closed his eyes, and sleep came quickly.

X-X

Zack had been in his bedroom for over two hours. It was definitely time to check on him, but just as she entered the hallway the phone rang. She turned back toward the living room, and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" Carey asked.

"Hello, this is Doctor Mason Wallowmire, is there a," the voice paused, the shuffling of papers could be heard in the background. "I'm sorry, is there a mister Cody Martin available?"

"Yes sir," she replied trying to match his formality. "One moment please," she added lowering the handset to the nearby sofa in an effort to block out even the smallest of stray sounds. She gestured to her son who was now staring at her, but put a finger over her lips. "Sounds important," she whispered. "I didn't catch the name. A doctor something, and he definitely referred to you as mister Cody Martin."

"Thanks," he whispered accepting the phone curiously. He hadn't been expecting a phone call.

"This is Cody Martin," he spoke evenly into the phone, trying to calm his nerves. Though his first thoughts had been hopeful, remembering that he hadn't yet sent in his most recent applications, a much more frightening thought dominated his mind. What if this man was a medical doctor? What if something had happened to Bailey?

"Mister Martin, hello," the older male voice replied. "My name is Doctor Mason Wallowmire," Cody's eyes widened, his fears instantly forgotten. The Doctor Mason Wallowmire? Multiple PhD's? Award winning researcher? Cody held his breath allowing the man to continue. "I've been appointed head of the new Marine Biology department at Brown University."

"Now I understand that a young scholar such as yourself has undoubtedly been presented with many exciting opportunities, but after reading some of your research, I was hoping..."

In his astonishment, Cody found himself unable to focus on what the doctor was saying. How could this man have found any value in HIS research? In comparison to the doctors research, his own research was elementary.

He thought back to a recent paper he read. The research Doctor Mason Wallowmire had done identifying specific regions of the brain in small fish had been instrumental in proving the basic circuitry of just how people and other mammals produce audible communication. Truly astounding work!

"I apologize sir," Cody said realizing he hadn't been paying very close attention. He would have to give himself a stern talking to once off the phone. "Could you repeat that?"

"No problem," he replied. "It is I who should apologize. I'm sure you've already finalized your college plans, but I hope you will at least give consideration to this program. I only wish I could have contacted you sooner, but the department is new, and I've only just been given permission to present two scholarships. Mister Martin, I want you to know that you are my first choice for this program."

"Thank you sir," Cody replied. "It is an honor." Cody was still a little speechless. He had so many questions.

"If you willing to consider entrance into the program, I would be happy to send the details to your home address."

"A full scholarship to Brown University's new Marine Biology program under Doctor Mason Wallowmire?" Cody asked. "I am definitely interested."

"Really?" He sounded surprised, but pleased. "Well I'm glad to hear that. I appreciate that you are considering this opportunity. Though, I should tell you that the program is very strict. I require ambitious young minds with an eagerness to learn. You will be expected to attend classes six days each week, as well as monthly research field trips. To qualify for scholarship you must maintain an average grade of 85% or above, and be willing to teach one to two classes each term."

"I can do that," Cody said confidently.

"Fortunately, our scholarships have no restrictions againsts prospective students who have broken through a seawall from within submarine."

Cody inhaled sharply, almost choking on saliva. "Forgive me mister Martin, I'm told my sense of humor takes a little getting used to." The older man chuckled.

"Should you decide to join our new marine biology program at Brown, you would have the opportunity to study a variety of subjects: biology, marine life, oceanography, veterinary medicine, ecology, anatomy, physiology, marine animal health, and marine biotechnology, to name a few. I will include a full listing in the informational packet.

"Thank you sir," Cody said again. "If I may ask, which of my papers did you read?"

"Mister Martin, I've read dozens of your research papers, but I'd have to say that your research on marine organisms and their contribution to the oxygen cycle was of particular interest to me."

"I... Thank you sir," Cody replied, again at a loss for words.

"Could I have your address?" The man asked.

"I live at the Tipton International Hotel in South Boston. It's on East Fouth Street, Suite 1211."

"Thank you," the older man replied. "I will send that packet out to you as soon as I can."

"Thank you sir," Cody replied. "Thank you very much!"

Carey returned to his side the moment she heard him put down the phone. "So?" She asked excitedly. Between the look on his face, and the excitement in his voice, she knew it was good news.

"I think I just got a full scholarship at Brown University," he said slowly allowing the information to soak in a moment. Then his eyes lite up, and a smile crossed his face. "Oh my god! Mom! I just got a scholarship to Brown University! The marine biology program, under doctor Mason Wallowmire!" He shreaked excitedly.

Carey hugged him. "Congratulations honey!"

"Mom," he pulled away after a moment. "I am going to be teaching too. As part of my scholarship! It's an extremely rigorous program. I... I have to call Bailey! I need to tell Zack!"

"Tell me what?" Zack asked entering the living room. He took in his surroundings. No fire, that was always good. Then why was Cody screaming like a little girl? "What's going on?" He asked.

"Zack! Zack! I haven't even sent the applications I was working on this morning, and the marine biology department at Brown offered me full scholarship!"

Zack stood there for a moment unmoving, just listening, he felt as if his world had somehow become less real. That's it, he was dreaming! It all made sense now!

"It's a new program!" Cody continued excitedly.

"A new program," Zack repeated. In mere seconds of eye contact with his twin, reality came rushing back to him. There was no doubt in his mind that Cody had noticed his momentary lapse. He would have to think quickly.

"Marine biology?" Zack asked flashing his twin a smile. "I don't know what that is, but it sounds right up your alley! Congrats bro!" He patted him on the back. "So where is this place?"

"Rhode Island," Cody replied. "A little more than an hour away I think, but it's perfect because Bailey is going to Yale, which is in Connecticut!"

"Nice," Zack replied.

"Zack?" Cody asked finally. Zack sighed, he knew the pending question. "Are you ok?" Even his mother stared at him wearily, awaiting his answer.

"Yep, fine," he replied. "But, I gotta take a shower," he said gesturing toward the bathroom.

-  
>AN: I'm sorry this chapter took me so long to write. <p>


End file.
